


Einherjar

by Dameceles



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Developing Friendships, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Spoilers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 04:05:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12100353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dameceles/pseuds/Dameceles
Summary: Strangers in a strange land find their past still cast dark shadows but find comfort in the light they share now. Newest: Hinoka wishes to speak with Queen Crimea.





	Einherjar

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of Elincia being released within FEH here's a lil something I wrote for [the Together We Ride zine](http://togetherweridefanzine.tumblr.com/) featuring my favorite two royal pegknights.

Chapter 1: Heavy Lies The Crown

Since having been summoned it seemed to Hinoka that the fighting surrounding Askr was endless. It’d been disorienting at first, surrounded by unfamiliar faces who employed strange tactics. However, she’d eventually found her forte in bolstering other fliers like herself. So those were the soldiers the summoner assigned her to lead, even after others from Hoshido joined the Order of Heroes. The battle that had just ended had been another skirmish with Emblia and their Contracted. She’d flown with other pegasus knights: Palla and Catria of the Whitewings. The youngest, Est, was at Princess Cadea’s side on a different battlefield along with Tsubaki and the young Shana. 

Their fourth rider had instead been a relatively new summon from a land called Crimea. The most unusual thing was her staunch pacifism, and how she carried only a staff. This wasn’t the first time they’d gone onto the battlefield together. Hinoka had already spoken to the others from Tellius and uncovered much about the unusual pegasus knight including her name, Elincia, and her title of Queen. This knowledge was why Hinoka lingered although the fighting had ended. She’d hoped to catch Elincia by herself and speak privately— with how the Whitewings had already left the field, now was her chance.

“Excuse me, Queen Elincia?” It’d taken all Hinoka’s courage to call out, and she forced herself not to run as the woman turned with an elegance that only came with years of practice. Ignoring how her breath shook in her lungs, she asked, “Would you mind if I asked for some advice?”

“I believe you’re already asking.” Elincia’s smile disarmed any edge from her words, her tone a held a light playfulness Hinoka couldn’t imagine achieving. “Yes, please feel free to ask me anything. It’s an honor to speak with such a competent commander.”  
Protests that she was far from that rose in her throat, but Hinoka swallowed them down and cut to the chase. “I’d like to discuss matters of state, most precisely rulership. Everyone here addresses me as Princess… but that’s a lie. Where I come from, I’ve been crowned Hoshido’s Queen.”

“Pardon, but what of High Prince Ryoma?” The playfulness in Elincia’s voice was gone.

“He and my brother Takumi are dead in my world. When I was summoned here and found them alive, I got a second chance.” It hurt to speak those words, to admit her failure in saving her family, to confess her relief in escaping it all. “I’ll have to go home one day, so I can’t forget my truth.” Undoubtedly breaking decorum and throwing away her dignity, Hinoka prostrated herself and begged, “Please, Queen Elincia, teach me how to rule. I can’t— I wasn’t raised for this.”

“…please stand.” Elincia got on her knees and didn’t right herself until Hinoka stood along with her. Then she leaned close and said in a low voice, “Let me tell you a secret, neither was I.” 

“What do you mean?” Hinoka’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

“My Uncle Renning was to inherit Crimea’s throne. I grew up hidden from the world, knowing very little of it. Then the neighboring kingdom of Daein invaded and my parents were killed…” Elincia grew quiet, and Hinoka glimpsed the haunted pain shadowing her countenance. 

In her own mind’s eye she saw Shirasagi’s city square— stone shattered, fallen bodies bleeding, Mother unmoving, smoke blackening the skies. If there’d also been invaders marching in the city that day, Hinoka wasn’t sure what she’d have done. That thought led to a different memory— a courtyard full of cherry blossoms ripped off the trees by divine winds, the invaders tearing through the troops’ defensive formations, the bitter taste of defeat without an honorable death.  
Unaware of these thoughts, Elincia continued her story. “I managed to escape thanks to my loyal retainers, but we were too soon separated. The compassion of the Greil Mercenaries was why I survived at all, and its thanks to them that Crimea was liberated. After the war I became the defacto heir, and thus Queen. Many thought me ill suited… and perhaps were right.”

“But you had no choice!” Hinoka’s words burst, full of frustration at the familiar unfairness. “There was no one else. People shouldn’t condemn you for taking up your birthright for the kingdom’s good.”

Elincia’s smile was tinged with sadness, but held no pity as she nodded. “You understand, Hinoka, they don’t. It means you mustn’t listen to such naysayers. I’ve seen how you lead pegasus knights on the battlefield, you have what it takes to rule.” Hinoka started to shake her head, all her past failures rushing through her mind. Yet Elincia was having none of it, interrupting by taking her hands with a firm hold, and her next words reached her aching heart. 

“Try, make mistakes, and learn. Become a good ruler for your people’s sake. Don’t let your own doubts or that of others stop you, Queen Hinoka.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in the spring of 2017, and based Elincia more on her Radiant Dawn self thus why I chose weird things like flying staffbot, haha. The possibility of Fates characters being pulled from different timelines is what gave me the idea for this, especially Hinoka's complexes over being queen.
> 
> If anyone likes this let me know! I might try for more ficlets in this setting if there's interest.


End file.
